Burger King Classic Field Set (11-13-13)

11/14/2013 03:51 PM

11/14/2013 03:52 PM

Four Team Field Stacked Again

TONS OF D-I TALENT HEADING TO CLASSIC 2014

For the 31st time the Burger King Basketball Classic will tip off in Erie on Friday, January 17th and Saturday, January 18th, 2014 at Gannon University's Hammermill Center. This year’s tournament features two schools making their initial trek to town and another from down the road that last appeared in Erie 20 years ago. The tournament continues to garner the attention of the top high school websites in the country, as MaxPreps and Hoops USA called the Burger King Classic the number one four-team tournament in the nation.

The field for the 2014 Classic is complete with perennial powers that have had great success with their programs and features seven major Division I players, including three of the top 15 juniors in the nation.

On the first night on Friday, January 17th at 7pm, St. Rita’s from Chicago will match up with Villa Angela-St. Joe’s out of Cleveland. St. Rita’s is paced by junior Charles Matthews, the number one underclassman in the state of Illinois. The 6’5 shooting guard already has offers from the likes of Duke, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin. But he also has three Division I teammates on his club. Small forward 6’6 senior Victor Law has committed to Northwestern, 6’2 senior guard and returning leading scorer Dominique Matthews has offers from SMU, Valparaiso and Wisconsin-Green Bay while 6’7 junior power forward Myles Carter is being recruited by DePaul, Florida State, Virginia Tech and Wisconsin.

Villa Angela-St. Joe’s will be making their fourth trip to the Classic and their first since 1994. They also bring with them one of the best players in the program’s history. 6’9 junior Carlton Bragg is a power forward who extends his game to the perimeter. He was offered early in his high school career by Ohio State and a large number of other Division I schools have joined the list including UConn, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan State and UCLA.

The 8:30pm nightcap will have Archbishop Carroll from Philadelphia against the host school Cathedral Prep. Archbishop Carroll lost to 2013 Classic champ Imhotep Charter in last year’s PIAA AAA state championship game. They appear to be the early favorite to return to Hershey, mainly because of 6’6 superstar Derrick Jones. The junior small forward has the complete package as one of the top recruits in the country. He has offers on the table from Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse, Villanova and many others. He also has assistance up front in the form of Ernest Aflakpui, a 6’10 center who has been offered by Temple.

Making a return to the Classic for the 31st straight year will be the host Cathedral Prep Ramblers, a three-time winner of this event. Prep grad and head coach Mark Majewski is in his sixth season and is coming off seasons that saw the Orange and Black advance to the state semifinals and quarterfinals in back-to-back years. The team also garnered their fourth District 10 crown in five seasons but will need new players to step up this time around.

-2-

With the graduation of second all-time leading scorer Sheldon Zablotny, the leadership reigns turn to Division I recruit senior Matt Harris. Having already verbally committed to the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Harris averaged more than 13 points a game as a junior. Those numbers will need to increase this season as he is the only starter that returns.

Friday & Saturday, January 17th and 18th,

7:00pm & 8:30pm @ Hammermill Center

Friday 7:00pm: St. Rita’s vs. Villa Angela-St. Joe’s

8:30pm: Archbishop Carroll vs. Cathedral Prep

Saturday 7:00pm: Consolation Game

8:30pm: Championship Game

The best possible way to acquire reserved tickets to the Classic, scaled at $25.00 for the weekend, is to purchase an Erie Area Metro season ticket, while supplies last. That can be done in the Prep athletic office beginning immediately.

General admission tickets cost $7.00 per night in advance for adults and $5.00 in advance for students, and start on sale to the general public today. Any remaining reserved tickets will also be on sale beginning on Wednesday, November 21st at the Cathedral Prep athletic office. General Admission tickets will be available on the same date at seven local Burger King Restaurants (all in Erie, North East and Fairview), at Cathedral Prep and Villa Maria High Schools as well as Dee’s News while supplies last.

No phone orders will be accepted, and no tickets can be held. Great crowds are expected, so fans are encouraged to buy their tickets early.